


Everybody Loves Sulu

by weekend_conspiracy_theorist



Series: Star Trek Prompts [5]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: M/M, and others but those three are the only ones with like... more than one significant mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 09:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12339684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weekend_conspiracy_theorist/pseuds/weekend_conspiracy_theorist
Summary: Every member of the bridge crew- and a few others- finds a chance to give Sulu a hug throughout the day; Bones is the only one to bother cluing him in to why.





	Everybody Loves Sulu

There’s a light blinking on his comm unit, indicating that sometime during the night he received a recorded vid. Hikaru doesn’t have time to watch it before his shift- a late (though sober) night getting cleaned out at cards by Chekov, Scotty, and Min Sung (the botanist) had made him reluctant to roll out of bed with the first of his alarms this morning- and by the time he reaches the bridge after a hurried breakfast in the mess, he forgets to even wonder who sent it.

“Good morning, Captain,” he greets cheerfully, and Jim looks up from the PADD in his lap to flash him a crooked smile.

Hazel eyes sparkle with mischief as he crosses one leg over the other. “With the way Bones spent breakfast complaining about the festivities in Mr. Scott’s quarters last night, I expected you to be far less chipper this morning, Lieutenant.”

“We vere _not_ that loud,” Chekov protests; Hikaru snorts as he takes his place at the helm.

“Yes, we were.”

“I wasn’t even there–” Nyota shoots Hikaru a glare, her opinion of this fact quite obvious in the way she sniffs and looks away once more– “but I guarantee you, Pavel, you were _precisely_ that loud.”

Spock straightens at his station and reaches deliberately for one of the reports stacked neatly next to him, not saying a word. Still, the bridge instantly quiets, like guilty little kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar–until Chekov abruptly claps his hands together.

“I almost forgot!” he mutters, standing, and Hikaru only has time to shoot him a questioning look before he’s being wrapped in a tight hug. He splutters in confusion, pawing at Pavel’s arm, and then just as abruptly as he stood the navigator is back in his chair. He’s smirking as Hikaru gapes at him, but before he can demand an explanation, Captain Kirk clears his throat.

“Gentleman,” he says, voice threaded with amusement, and with one last confused glare, Hikaru turns back to his station.

This is just the first of many odd interactions throughout the day:

At lunch, Nurse Chapel and Doctor M’Benga sandwich him between them, each slinging an arm over his shoulders and pressing simultaneous kisses to his cheeks.

On their way off the bridge after their shift, Nyota pulls him into an utterly bone-crushing hug, while Jim shakes his hand with a grip so tight and energetic it’s almost painful.

When he stops by botany to check on his hydroponics and get a look at the samples from the most recent away mission, Lieutenant Sung pulls off a glove with her teeth to pat him on the cheek and apologize for being too covered in dirt to do more.

Scotty stops him in the hall to lift him off the ground and spin him around before continuing on to the engine room, Janice launches herself into his arms when they run into each other in the gym after dinner, and Doctor McCoy finds him on the observation deck just before eleven PM, ship time.

Thankfully, he keeps his distance as he joins Hikaru at the railing, thumbs tucked in the waistband of his regulation pants and an enigmatic smile on his face. “Checked your messages today?” he asks, apropos of nothing.

Hikaru thinks about the little light blinking on his comm unit and narrows his eyes suspiciously at the doctor. “Didn’t have time before my shift,” he admits.

McCoy hums, tapping his ring lightly against the railing. “You should.” He steps  back, obviously intending to leave, and then pauses. With a considering tilt of his head and an amused twinkle in his blue eyes, he holds his arms open in an offering. “I’ll leave it up to you, unlike the rest of the hooligans on this ship.”

With a laugh, Hikaru straightens away from the railing. “It’s not like I’m _complaining_ about the affection,” he says jovially, leaning down to wrap his arms around the doctor. “I’m just _confused_.”

McCoy laughs softly, patting at Hikaru’s shoulder blade before he pulls away. “Check your messages,” he repeats.

Back in his room, regulation blanket pulled tight around his shoulders and fingers curled around a mug of tea, Hikaru somehow isn’t at all surprised to find his husband’s smiling face filling the vid screen. He can’t help but beam back, as if the lightyears between them don’t exist, and settles into the couch to listen.

 _“I’m sending this a few weeks early because I have no idea how long it’ll take to reach you,”_ Ben tells him, _“so happy birthday, Hikaru. I wish I could spend it with you, but since that’s unfortunately not possible, I’m giving you the next best thing. I’ve already recorded messages for all your friends on the ship. Throughout the day- whichever day this happens to reach you-”_ he laughs, a sound that makes Hikaru’s heart constrict in his chest- _“they’ll be passing on my love. Every time someone hugs you today, know that it’s coming from me. I love you, Hikaru Sulu; come home safe.”_

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted [here](https://enterprisetrampstamp.tumblr.com/post/166256100222/2-sulu)
> 
> and for anyone curious, min sung (the botanist) has only previously appeared in [the best worst plan](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11416866), though she was first mentioned in [Gossip Mill](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11007111)


End file.
